A Fushigi Yuugi Fanfic
by miroku-ai
Summary: It's great okay? Just read it... you know you want to.... What Chichiri's got a lover? Scandalacious.....
1. Default Chapter

November 10

Hello world. Miaka has been gone for almost a month now. Yui as well. I don't know where they could be. I've looked everywhere. Right before Yui disappeared she started to act strange. Stranger than normal. I suppose that with us, there really isn't a normal, but I'm beginning to worry. Miaka told me that she got sucked into a book. No one believed her, but now that she's gone missing again, and I'm starting to think that maybe she didn't make it up this time. She spoke of an ogre, of a clan called the Suzaku seven, and of a vain emperor. If these things are all true, and considering that I am the only one to believe her in any regard, I must be the one to rescue her and Yui from these heathens. Despite the impending term exams, I must find my best friend. Joumei Taisku to the aid of her friends!

Chapter One

Ring...ring.... Incessant ringing. It's early, why are people calling?

"Hello?" Joumei picked up the phone. "Oh, it's you. Yeah okay... I'm going to the library. Uh-huh, that's where Yui and Miyaka were last. I don't know, maybe there's some sort of clue or something. Kitsune, I have to go. Yes, you can come... meet me outside in two hours. Yes two, I have to take a bath. All right, bye."

Joumei pulled a brush through her shoulder length black hair, and walked, cold and naked into the bathroom across the hall. She turned the hot dial as far as it would go, and waited for the water to heat up. Considering that she lived in an apartment, that wasn't very hot, and longer than would be favorable. So instead she looked at herself in the mirror, peering unsatisfied at her green eyes and pale skin. She lived in Japan. She wasn't supposed to be pale, and her eyes were supposed to be dark as night. She hated her father for being American. All she wanted was to look the same as everyone else in the country.

Steam began to rise from the top of the shower, so Joumei pulled back the glass door and stepped in. She barely had enough time to wash her hair before her mother demanded the use of the bathroom in angry Japanese.

"I'm almost done mother." She responded and proceeded to wash her body.

As she reached for the handle to run naked back to her room, the door opened and in stepped her mother.

"Why do you refuse to speak Japanese in your own home, why do you run about naked, and what are you doing up so late?" She hollered in broken English.

"It's eight in the morning, I still consider that early." Joumei moaned and tried desperately to shut the door on her mother. "Just let me get a damn towel!"

Adorned with a towel, she was better fit to dodge the parent and run to the sanctity of her bedroom, where she promptly dressed, applied makeup, and tied back her hair into two low pigtails. Kitsune always teased her for her pigtails, but her hair was too short to pull all of it back into a ponytail. Kitsune had had long luxurious hair for as long as she and Joumei were best friends. Eleven years ago, when they first met, it was midway down her back, and was only trimmed a bit since then. It now hung past her butt and was often pulled into a loose ponytail near her shoulders, shimmering the darkest of black even under the sun.

It was Saturday, but Joumei wore her school uniform regardless as she started towards the kitchen with a small back sack in hand. Her mother was still in the bathroom, making a wonderful opportunity for Joumei to pack herself some food as well as makeup, clean panties, and various other extremities. She knew that Kitsune surely assumed that they would only be away for a few hours at the most. She might bring some money for lunch though. Would money be of any value in this traverse land?

Joumei left with a pop tart between her teeth, and a bulging pack on her back. Kitsune met her halfway to the library, wearing her navy blue uniform as well, the skirt billowing around her in the breeze.

"I thought you were going to meet me at the library, Sune." Joumei asked, regardless that she already knew the answer.

"I got there early, but I got bored, so I started off towards your house knowing I'd meet you at some point along the way." Kitsune smiled.

"Okay then." Joumei smiled as well. She did know the answer. "Oh, by the way, did Miaka ever give you a long speech about why she went missing the first time?"

"Yeah, she said something about some strange book, and that Yui got sucked into it because Miaka came out. I assumed that she's just weaving stories again." She sighed. "But somehow, she sounded afraid for Yui. She sounded... unlike her normal carefree self. I don't know, she seemed genuine, almost like she was telling the truth. But something as outlandish as that is hard for anyone to believe, yet I find myself almost thinking that we'll find this book lying open on the ground baring all that we assumed was lies."

"If Miaka is truly in another world full of beasts... than we are the only one's who can help her. I don't know what I would do if something we could have prevented happened to her. I would feel horrible." Joumei tried to smile again, but it just faded away. "if she just ran away, I will feel incredibly gullible."

"Me too."

The rest of the walk to the library was traversed in relatively silent. On numerous occasions, one of them would begin to say something, and stop before words could form. It was refreshing to step out of the humid morning fog and into the coolly air conditioned building. The faint aroma of old mildewed books met their noses. The smell of hundreds of year's worth of wisdom, Joumei always thought.

Joumei led the expedition up a narrow flight of steps to the ancient Japanese reference section. She had been down this hallway many times before with Miaka. No wonder it was the alleged area that she was 'pulled into the book'.

She could hear Kitsune's staggered breathing behind her, but she pressed on towards the feeling of being drawn. A red glow began to pulse from around the cracks of the door at the end of the hall, but Joumei just dismissed the color as her imagination. The closer they stepped, though, the brighter the glow became.

"You see that too, right?" Kitsune asked behind her, reassuring some of her fears, and raising others.

"Hai." Joumei answered in Japanese for once.

She would not allow her pace to falter, she would not let Miaka down. Not if all this was real. They continued until the glow was so intense that Joumei had to feel about for the handle of the door.

The door swung open...

...And the glow dispersed, constricting again around a book lying open on the floor...


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two-

Joumei's vision slowly returned, paired with the taste of dirt lacing her mouth.

"Kitsune?" she managed to sputter as she pushed herself to her knees. A few feet from her lay her unconscious friend. Joumei squinted as the breeze blew sand into her eyes.

Kitsune slowly began to stir.

"Wake up Sune!" Joumei coughed. 'it's true! We're actually in the book!"

"Maybe we were just drugged, raped and somehow abandoned in the Sahara desert." Kitsune responded with her usual optimistic sarcasm.

"Who's there?" an unfamiliar voice called through the wind. A young man slowly appeared, then broke into a run when he noticed the two girls.

Fear rose in Joumei's throat, was this one of the men Miaka had mentioned?

"Who're you?" Kitsune muttered to the man.

'My name is Hotohori. I am the emperor of Konan. You two seem to have been deposited in my front lawn." He explained. His hair was long and dark brown, accenting his golden eyes.

"Please don't hurt us," Joumei pouted.

"Hurt you? Why should I do such a wretched thing?' Hotohori laughed.

"You mean... you're not going to force us to stay here, in a world where we obviously don't belong?" Kitsune asked.

"Are you by any chance from the same world as Miaka?"

The girls nodded.

'No one is forcing her to stay here. I think there has been a confusion. No one here in Konan would force anyone to stay here against their own will." Hotohori kneeled. 'Are either of you injured?"

They shook their heads.

'Well then why don't we go inside for some tea, and I'll explain the current situation regarding Lady Miaka." He smiled, extending his palms as an offer for help standing.

Kitsune took it, and Joumei stood on her own. Together, they followed Hotohori over the horizon and inside the large ancient Chinese style palace.

'I apologize for Konan's current weather. We've been suffering from somewhat of a drout." He sighed and slid open the door to a nicely furnished living area. Tea and cups were already set out on the table.

Kitsune sat first, grateful for something to drink.

"I assure you that I am not of ill intent. Just here me out and if you still believe otherwise, you can hear it from Miaka when she returns tomorrow afternoon.' He smiled softly. 'Please sit down."

Joumei looked to Kitsune who nodded in approval.

'I am sorry for my rudeness, my name is Joumei Taitsku." She bowed politely and took a seat.

'And I am Kitsune Nao." Sune grinned.

'The pleasure is all mi9ne. Now, of Miaka..." Hotohori sat and took a long sip from his tea. 'Let me see... yes, I do suppose we should start from the beginning. Miaka appeared a good while ago, matching all of the characteristics of the priestess we had been so long searching for. The title of Priestess of Suzaku was bestowed upon her, along with the task of locating and uniting the seven guardian warriors of Suzaku. By the time she had gathered Nuriko, Tamahome, and myself, she fell ill with exhaustion. We implored her to return home to rest, so long as she promised to return to us. But when she reentered this world, the lady Yui was brought with her as well. Konan's warring enemy, Kuto, raised Yui as their own Priestess, of the dragon god Seiryu. Miaka, who had by this time, fallen very much in love with Tamahome, found the other four guardians, only to have the Scroll of Suzaku ruined in a very lengthy ceremony that entails an equally tiring story. Yui had also fallen in love with Tamahome, and believing that her hardships were of Miaka's doing, began to plot her downfall and loss of Tama-kins. author humor Currently, Lady Miaka is once again trying to right things with Yui, along with Tamahome, and Chichiri, in Kuto. Once again complicating the matter, Suzaku's divine power can only be summoned with the scroll, which will begin a new complication, probably involving you two as well, considering that without Taiiskun or Suzaku's aid, you are stuck here. Follow?"

Once again, the girls just nodded.

Kitsune seemed to be enjoying her tea as well as the emperor, who's gaze was quite fixed on her.

'Um, sire..." She sighed. "If you don't min me saying so, you are very beautiful."

Hotohori blushed. "Thank you,"

Kitsune turned to meet Joumei's mocking gaze, spurring a few childish giggles.

"The both of you are welcome to stay here as long as you desire. I believe you would find everything you need in the guest room, including many changes of clothes to accommodate weather, and your own personal preferences." He swept a few strand of hair from his face, making Kitsune flush red in her own.

"We have no where else to go." Joumei laughed, mentally comparing the beautiful palace to her suburban apartment.

'Are you two hungry?" Hotohori asked politely.

Joumei though for a moment before nodding along with Kitsune.

"Well dinner will be served in an hour, which will also be a wonderful opportunity for you to meet the rest of the Suzaku seven." He smiled again.

"Thank you," Kitsune smiled and stood.

She and Joumei crossed the hall to the large guestroom, finding two elegant dresses draped over the fittingly large canopy bed.

"I suppose they want us to wear these." Kitsune laughed.

"Yea."

The one that Joumei chose was black with gold detail and sleeveless. Long slits ran from where the hem dusted the floor, almost to her hip, and accented the Chinese style turtleneck.

Kitsune's was of opposite colors, and had long belled sleeves.

As Kitsune fixed her dusty hair, Joumei was over whelmed with confusion, and slipped out the door, just in time to be knocked to the ground.

"Hey!" she yelled in protest.

"Oh sorry."

The young man laughed and helped her up.

"Who're you? I haven't seen you around here before." The man's accent sounded somewhat strange but Joumei couldn't put her finger on it.

"I am a friend of Miaka's." He answered as she dusted herself off. "You?"

"My name is Tasuki." He bowed comically.


End file.
